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Time for a new look? April 8 2013 Posted by

Do you have a room in your home that's been the same since you moved in? You've always wanted to update it, but things keep getting in the way?

One of the easiest and least expensive ways to give a room a make-over is by giving it a fresh paint job.

Before you start, you'll want to plan out the project. I'm going to touch on two questions that I find a lot of clients forget when they are planning out their project.

Does the ceiling need a refresh, or is it fine as is?

The last thing that you want is to be done painting the walls and trim, have all of the furniture back in place and then realize that the ceiling looks, well, like it hasn't been painted in 15 years.

If your ceiling is stippled (some call it a 'popcorn ceiling') and you do decide to paint it, before heading to pick up your supplies, get a ladder, climb up and run your hand gently along the ceiling. If the stipple is chalky and crumbles when you touch it, it has never been painted before and you will need to prime with an oil-based primer before painting. This will ensure that the texture is well sealed in place.

Does the trim need a refresh, or is it fine as is?

Ceilings and trim are the areas that people tend to forget about. Quite often, when I am talking to a client about their project, all they talk about are the walls. As soon as I mention ceilings and trim, it's like a lightbulb turns on for them. They hadn't thought about it. While in the store, they can't quite envision their trim and ceilings to know the condition of them. Better to plan in advance so that you can get everything you need, and only what you need, in one trip to the paint store.

One thing to keep in mind with trim is that generally you want to keep the colour and sheen of your trim consistent throughout the house. The easiest way to do this, is for you to bring in a piece of your trim and we will custom match a colour to it. If you paint the trim in one room to a nice, crisp, clean white and the trim in the rest of your house is a bit dull and faded, it's going to look, well, a bit dull and faded.

As I often say, each project is a little bit different from the next one. Feel free to stop in and see me at the store to talk about the specifics of your project.